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Since joining Obsidian in November 09, I’ve worked on Fallout: New Vegas as an Area Designer.

Area Design involves all sorts of responsibilities, but you can boil it all down to the act of creating a game space, giving it form (geometry, ambiance, lighting, etc), adding its interactive elements (NPCs/Creatures, loot, doors, traps, furniture, etc.), designing its expected gameplay (quests, combat, stealth, dialogue, etc), and then implementing it all in a way that emphasizes consistency, and coherency – areas must belong within the entire game world.

See how Obsidian’s Justin Reynard takes on Inside the Vault questions like a big pizza pie!

What’s your job at Obsidian?

I’m a Gameplay Programmer at Obsidian Entertainment. While working on Fallout: New Vegas, I worked on Hardcore Mode, the new Recipe/Crafting implementation and oversaw most of the weapon/ammo changes. I also had a hand in creating many of the Skills and Perks. My day–to-day responsibilities included implementing these systems and working directly with Josh Sawyer to make sure all the changes functioned the way he envisioned.

Inside the Vault returns this week with Frank Kowalkowski, Lead Programmer on New Vegas…

What’s your job at Obsidian?

I’m the Lead Programmer for Fallout: New Vegas. That means that I work with the programming team to design the technical implementation of the game. That can mean that I sit down with Josh and a programmer and make sure that what he sets out to code will meet what is requested by the design team. I also provide technical assistance to the team when they need it. It’s a more social job than most people might think but I get plenty of time to sit down and code my own features.

Jason Fader joins our exclusive Inside the Vault club. Learn his job at Obsidian, how he got started, and more below…

What’s your job at Obsidian?

I’m the technical producer on Fallout: New Vegas. It’s kind of an odd hybrid role, combining production work, programming, and random duties that need to get done. For example, towards the beginning of the project, I managed all of the programmers, character/concept/UI artists, animators, writers, and audio engineers. As the project progressed, I took on other duties like managing the build process, writing tools for the team, and recording temp voice over. Occasionally I’ll dip into the engine and fix a few bugs, and then jump over to a production task like scheduling. I love the variety of my job.

Obsidian’s Denise McMurry is the latest to join the Inside the Vault Alumni Group. Learn about her involvement on New Vegas below.

What’s your job at Obsidian?

I am a World Builder, basically my job is to decorate the New Vegas wasteland. This includes both interiors and exteriors, everything from rocks and trees to that bottle of Nuka Cola you see sitting on the table. I try to set up cool looking areas for players to explore, and set up props that tell a story about what happened in that area. Occasionally I’ll get to add lighting to help emphasize what the area’s all about.

As Feargus Urquhart mentioned in his Developer Diary, Brian Menze has done plenty of Vault Boy drawings in his day. Find out about some of his favorite creations for Fallout, as well as other games he’s worked on, in our latest Inside the Vault…

What’s your job at Obsidian?

I’m a senior conceptual artist. I also provide other 2D in-game assets as well. For example, in Fallout: New Vegas, I painted many of the billboards and posters and designed some logos found throughout the game.

We return for another edition of Inside the Vault: The West Coast — this time with Casey Kwock, QA Tester on Fallout: New Vegas.

What’s your job at Obsidian?

I’m a Quality Assurance Tester on the Fallout: New Vegas development team. My responsibilities include testing functionality, gameplay, and system performance with focus on the critical path areas. If I encounter a problem, I report it to the team and help fix the issue with the person responsible.

I also help Designers with scripting, area layouts and creating content in secondary locations. When you find a cave hidden at the base of a mountain far off the beaten path, it could be mine. Continue reading full article ›

Hear that? It’s the sound of another Inside the Vault. This week we meet Scott Lawlor, Audio Director for Fallout: New Vegas at Obsidian Entertainment.

What’s your job at Obsidian?

I am the Audio Director at Obsidian Entertainment and I am in charge of the audio for all projects here at the company. This means that anything you hear in any Obsidian game – from music, to sound effects to dialogue comes through me at some point.

Let’s meet another member of Obsidian’s team — currently hard at work on Fallout: New Vegas. Today we’ve got Josh Sawyer, the game’s Project Director. Learn about his responsibilities on the project (they’re pretty important), highlights of his career, and and some of his passions outside of the office.

What’s your job at Obsidian?
I’m the project director and lead designer on Fallout: New Vegas. I am responsible for the overall vision of the game, high-level content design, and all of the system design. I help coordinate the production and lead team and generally just help people stay on track with the project as a whole.